Heretofore, a connector including plate spring-shaped terminals has been used. The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes: a housing having an insertion hole formed therein, into which an electronic component (for example, a circuit board, terminal of cable, and the like) for connecting with the connector can be inserted; and a terminal inserted into the insertion hole. The terminal is formed into a plate-spring shape elongated in a direction in which the electronic component is inserted. The terminal includes, on its tip side, a contact portion located on a course through which the electronic component passes at the time of its insertion. In an insertion process of the electronic component, the tip portion of the electronic component pushes the contact portion, and consequently, the terminal is elastically deformed such that the contact portion retreats from the course of the electronic component.
In the insertion process of the electronic component, when the tip of the electronic component is inserted by a required distance while pushing the contact portion, a reaction force (force in an opposite direction to the insertion direction, which is mainly caused by elastic force of the terminal and frictional force between the terminal and the electronic component) resulting from the elastic force of the terminal is generated. Therefore, it is necessary to press the electronic component into the connector with a force (hereinafter, insertion force) exceeding the reaction force. Then, after the electronic component is pressed into the connector, and the tip of the electronic component passes by the contact portion, the contact portion is pressed onto a conductor, which is formed on a surface of the electronic component, by the elastic force of the terminal.